mrauk oo shares many similarities with another of the country’s … · 2016. 11. 18. · employed...
TRANSCRIPT
11Air Mandalay - The Golden Flight |
The most famous pagodas are
undoubtedly the Shitthaung
and Koethaung temples.
Interesting sites on their
own, the two also represent a
small game of one-upmanship
on behalf of their builders,
the father and son pairing
of King Minbun, who built
Shittaung in 1535, and his son,
King Mintaikkha, who built
Koethaung in 1553. Shitthaung
i n M y a n m a r t r a n s l a t e s
to 80,000 – a reference to
the 80,000 Buddha images
etched or mounted on the
walls, occupying virtually every
available space. Koethaung
is the same again – but with
another 10,000 images.
While most pagodas in the
country, including those in
Bagan, are large structures
with high ceilings and big
interior rooms, the design
and construction techniques
employed at Mrauk Oo are
quite different. Certainly
there are large interior rooms,
but around the outside are
a number of passages that
slowly but surely make their
way to the centre, thereby
creating room for the armies
of Buddha images.
Natural lighting is very much
at a premium and some of the
passages are spookily dark.
It seems odd to carry a torch
with you while you’re walking
around Mrauk Oo during the
day but when you’ve been
inside some of the pagodas the
reasons for doing so quickly
become clear.
Getting around is easy but
at most times of the year
Mrauk Oo is hot and the sun
unyielding. It’s quite possible
to visit most of the sites
within the main pagoda group
– including both Shitthaung
and Koethaung – on foot. But
depending on where you’ve
chosen to stay, it’s probably
worth hiring a trishaw to get
to where you’d like to start.
This is unlikely to cost more
than K2000 (about US$2)
but make sure you negotiate
the fare before you set off.
Alternatively, several places
rent bicycles out for the day,
and any good hotel can also
find a jeep should you prefer
to drive around.
When the temples become
a little overwhelming – and it
does happen – there’s a market
11Air Mandalay - The Golden Flight |
Mrauk Oo shares many similarities with another of the country’s former capitals – Bagan – but unlike that destination it’s not part of the main tourist trail, which makes for a mix of good and bad.
“
12 | Air Mandalay - The Golden Flight
to explore in the middle of the
town, and further afield are
the hills and villages of Chin
State. At least two of the hotels
are able to hire jeeps that will
take you up into Chin State on
daytrips for about $50 a day.
As with all the major religious
sites in Myanmar there is an
archaeological zone entrance
fee – $5 in this case, which
is difficult to avoid paying,
particularly if you visit the two
big temples.
Because the area is far less
frequented than Bagan the
number of hawkers following
tourists around is much lower,
although this might also
be because Mrauk Oo is a
functioning trading town and
not as many people rely on the
tourist dollar.
Accommodation ranges in
price – and facilities – from
as little as $10 a night up
to more than $100 at the
fancier locations. Those who
choose to eat lunch in town
and away from their hotel will
be rewarded – the food from
all the restaurants that I ate at
was excellent and cheap. And
at least one of the restaurants
serves a local specialty – tiny,
pea-sized potatoes, which have
to be seen to be believed. A
favourite with travellers is Moe
Cherry restaurant, which has
an open upper balcony and is
a fine place to relax for a meal
and a drink.
Rakhine State is also famous
for its own particular variety
of fish and noodle soup –
elsewhere called mohinga –
but known in Rakhine as mont
tee. It’s spicy, usually served
hot and less heavy on the fish
sauce. To my palate, it’s a far
more attractive option than
mohinga.
The last thing you want as
a time-scarce traveller is an
extended lay-up in a transit
town like Sittwe but with a little
preparation the experience
can be much more enjoyable.
Getting marooned in Sittwe for
a single night or morning is no
bad thing because the town
has some of the freshest and
best seafood in the country.
More than a day is too long
and you might even make
the mistake of ordering black
coffee.
12 | Air Mandalay - The Golden Flight
Rakhine State is also famous for its own particular variety of fish and noodle soup – elsewhere called mohinga – but known in Rakhine as mont tee. It’s spicy, usually served hot and less heavy on the fish sauce.
“
13Air Mandalay - The Golden Flight | 13Air Mandalay - The Golden Flight |
14 | Air Mandalay - The Golden Flight
Mo
ny
wa
Mo
nu
me
nts
to
Bu
dd
ha
Wo
rds
an
d p
ictu
res
by
Kyl
e S
he
rer
14 | Air Mandalay - The Golden Flight
15Air Mandalay - The Golden Flight |
About 700 years ago, workers began carving into the sandstone at Monywa,
creating hallowed caves that eat into the mountainside and then furnishing
them with weathered Buddha statues sculpted out of the rock. The result
is a haunting and evocative monument to Buddhism – one of just many in the area
surrounding the city of Monywa, which lies 136km northwest of Mandalay in Sagaing
Region, a distance that can be covered in three to four hours by bus.
Sleepier than the pulsating streets of Yangon and less arid than Mandalay, Monywa is
home to some unique tourist attractions – and thousands upon thousands of Buddha
images. From the inch-high statues that line the walls of Thanboddhay pagoda, to the
sandstone carved Buddhas in the Pho Win Taung caves, to the towering 114-metre
(380-foot) tall Laykun Setkyar standing Buddha, Monywa is a veritable land of Buddha
– and one that the government seems determined to keep expanding.
The newest addition to the Buddha statue anthology is also the biggest – in fact, it’s
one of the largest in the world. The Laykyun Setkyar Buddha stands rigidly at the foot of
the Po Khaung Taung mountain range, and though it’s surrounded by hills, its enormity
is still staggering to behold. Construction work on the statue began in 1996, and it
officially opened as a tourist attraction in February 2008. Occasionally, at dawn or on
overcast days, the statue is enveloped by fog and its upper body disappears entirely
into the clouds. But at most times of the day, its golden robe and pearly white skin
dominate the landscape, and the gleaming statue and polished tiles make the area
shimmer with heat.
Destination
15Air Mandalay - The Golden Flight |